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“Roses” (an Alternative to TULIP) by Timothy George

Timothy George, a professor and Baptist historian, himself a Calvinist, has provided what some will consider a helpful alternative to the “TULIP” acronym of Synod of Dort Calvinism.  It’s the “ROSES” acronym, which is meant to capture a softer version of Calvinism that is closer to what most Baptists believe:

  • Radical Depravity–Compared with total depravity, radical depravity agrees that every aspect of our being was damaged through the Fall and we can do nothing to save ourselves, but affirms that humans are not totally evil because we retain the image of God despite our fallenness.
  • Overcoming Grace–Compared with irresistible grace, overcoming grace (or effectual calling) affirms that God accomplishes salvation, but differs in that rather than salvation being a mechanical and deterministic process, it allows for even sinful, obstinate humans to respond to God’s persistent wooing.
  • Sovereign Election–In contrast to the double predestinarianism of unconditional election, God sovereignly elects those whom He foreknows will respond to Him.
  • Eternal Life–The phrase “perseverance of the saints” might suggest that although we are saved by grace, we are kept by our good works. The phrase “Once saved, always saved”could suggest that we could claim Christ as Savior without making Him Lord of our lives.
  • Singular Redemption–Finally, unlike limited atonement, singular redemption communicates that Jesus’ death was sufficient to save everyone but is efficient only for those who repent and believe.

Though Timothy George’s proposed “ROSES” acronym doesn’t have the same logical flow as the traditional TULIP acronym, it does present a softer view of these five points.  But a pure Calvinist may not recognize them as truly Calvinian.

For example, Timothy George’s “Sovereign election” is not Calvinistic at all.  In fact, it is more Arminian than Calvinian.  In other words, because God knows in advance who will respond to him, he elects them.

But this alternative is not Calvinistic.  It is not even a softer version of Calvinism.  It is something else.  It’s something my Arminian Methodist pastor friend often shares with me, as an explanation of election in the Bible.

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Reference:

Timothy George, Amazing Grace: God’s Initiative – Our Response (Nashville: LifeWay, 2000), 71-83.

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TC Robinson

BIO. I’m Thomas “T.C” Robinson, a Christian by conversion and an ordained minister in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC). Let’s talk faith and culture in light of Scripture, tradition, and reason, which are gifts to the Body of Christ. “For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” -Paul the Apostle, Romans 11:36 NIV

5 responses to ““Roses” (an Alternative to TULIP) by Timothy George”

  1. Lon Avatar
    Lon

    interesting. thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  2. Colin Avatar
    Colin

    I have come across ROSES before, cannot remember where. TULIP has sometimes intrigued me. How true is this Synod of Dort English speaker’s acronym to Calvin’s own writings? At times some Calvinists can seem almost clinical, mechanistic even, perish the thought, Pharasaic. My personal take on TULIP has probably been at the softer understandings of some of the terms. I would call myself a strong rather than commited sympathiser. In that respect ROSES did ring some bells for me whenever it was I first came across it. An easy example, I would understand total depravity in similar terms to radical depravity here.

    Reply
    1. TC Avatar
      TC

      Colin, yes, TULIP is post-Calvin the man and thinker, so gaps abound, or not??? At any rate, Calvinism is far more than the TULIP, though not less, soteriologically speaking.

      Frankly speaking, the ROSES acronym is something else. It’s not Calvinism soteriologically in the truest sense. My take.

      Reply
      1. Terry Kemp Avatar
        Terry Kemp

        But it is more biblical. My take.

  3. Jeff Ahrendt Avatar
    Jeff Ahrendt

    A better Baptist ROSES would be this:

    R – Redeemed on condition of faith (“By grace you are saved through faith” Eph 2:8)

    O – Open to all (“God… is the Savior of all men, especially of believers” 1 Tim 4:10)

    S – Separated by sin (“Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God” Is 59:2)

    E – Elect to good works (“We are… created in Christ Jesus for good works” Eph 2:10)

    S – Sealed by the Spirit (“Having… believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit” Eph 1:13)

    Neither Arminian nor Calvinist, this is the Baptist way.

    Reply

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